Status Epilepticus is a
life threatening condition where a person has seizures that last longer than five minutes, or the epileptic does not regain consciousness between recurring seizures.
In the
United States, approximately 195,000 people are affected each year, of which approximately 42,000 die. 60% of people who develop
status epilepticus have never been diagnosed with
epilepsy.
Though there is
debate in the medical community about how much time should pass before
status epilepticus is declared (some doctors prefer to diagnose based on the iminent physical
danger rather than the amount of time passed), if you come across someone who is having a
seizure, you should get them
emergency treatment
immediately if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, or the person does not "wake up" between
seizures.
status epilepticus includes non-convulsive seizures, which may be more difficult to identify.